Joyous harmonies in the vein of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, disco beats, and the spectacular cheese of ’80s synths swirl around Dent May’s second full-length like rays of sunshine. An album this shiny and bright is a complete departure from May’s debut. The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele is a collection of folk tunes with the aforementioned four-stringed instrument that charmed the hearts of many with songs like “College Town Boy,” where May crooned, "he's smoking reefer every day now/his tastes are awfully high-brow/college town boy/get off your ass and do something." But Do Things is a completely separate affair, full of bubbly dance numbers and the polish of a just-waxed dance floor. None of the charm is lost, though, in an album where lyrics are simple and to the point, and the beats are smoother than Jergens. “Best Friend” is a love song for that solid person in life that just can’t be replaced. “You and me is never gonna end/because you’re my best friend/honey, still my best friend” -- nothing deep, but undeniably relatable. And “Fun” could easily be your favorite spring anthem, crawling with rumbling bass, Of Montreal-esque hyperactive synths, and an infectious, hedonistic chorus that is so feel-good it hurts. Sticky and overblown, this could be an album that gets old after a few listens. Lucky for us, it just doesn’t.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Dent May - Do Things
Joyous harmonies in the vein of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, disco beats, and the spectacular cheese of ’80s synths swirl around Dent May’s second full-length like rays of sunshine. An album this shiny and bright is a complete departure from May’s debut. The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele is a collection of folk tunes with the aforementioned four-stringed instrument that charmed the hearts of many with songs like “College Town Boy,” where May crooned, "he's smoking reefer every day now/his tastes are awfully high-brow/college town boy/get off your ass and do something." But Do Things is a completely separate affair, full of bubbly dance numbers and the polish of a just-waxed dance floor. None of the charm is lost, though, in an album where lyrics are simple and to the point, and the beats are smoother than Jergens. “Best Friend” is a love song for that solid person in life that just can’t be replaced. “You and me is never gonna end/because you’re my best friend/honey, still my best friend” -- nothing deep, but undeniably relatable. And “Fun” could easily be your favorite spring anthem, crawling with rumbling bass, Of Montreal-esque hyperactive synths, and an infectious, hedonistic chorus that is so feel-good it hurts. Sticky and overblown, this could be an album that gets old after a few listens. Lucky for us, it just doesn’t.
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really? album review? come on. you reviewed 2 singles.
ReplyDeleteCG, thank you for your anonymous comment. I did choose to focus on a few select songs because there's not much more you can do with a short word count. I'd be happy to read your review of the album, which I'm sure is much more complete and thorough, right?
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